Kevin Fischer is a veteran broadcaster, the recipient of over 150 major journalism awards from the Milwaukee Press Club, the Wisconsin Associated Press, the Northwest Broadcast News Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and others. He has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for over three decades. A longtime aide to state Senate Republicans in the Wisconsin Legislature, Kevin can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, "InterCHANGE," on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10, and heard filling in on Newstalk 1130 WISN. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their lovely young daughter, Kyla Audrey, in Franklin.

The Barking Lot is a regular weekly feature of this just in…Written by my lovely wife, Jennifer and me. It opens with the weekend dog walking forecast followed by the main blog from dog lover, Jennifer. Then it’s DOGS IN THE NEWS and our close. Enjoy!

TODAY: As we post, here in God's country (Franklin) as the sun rises, it's about 50 degrees. A bit nippy for early risers, but we're headed for a sunny high of 74. "A"

SUNDAY: Sunny. Some reports have a high of 80. We'll call it 77. "A" Get out and enjoy this wonderful weekend!

Here’s my lovely wife, Jennifer with this week’s main blog:

Growing up, my family did not own Ninja-style stealth dogs. We could hear them easily before we saw them thanks to the “tinkle tinkle” sound of the tags on their collars but mostly because of the “clickety clack” of their paws on our floors. Their toe nails gave them away Every. Single. Time. They didn’t stand a chance trying to sneak up on us even if they wanted to.

My Basenji was particularly NOT fond of having her nails cut. She was a pristine little lady in many respects but was never up for a “pawdicure.” (Sure, she let me POLISH her nails but only because she knew the clipper was nowhere in sight.) Her not-terribly-large-or-muscular body could put up QUITE a struggle (think greased pig!) when it was time to trim. We used to have to literally wait for her to fall into a deep sleep and then snip a couple before she awoke. Fortunately for her, this did not exist when she was with us. I can guarantee you that would NOT have been the answer to our dilemma!

If you’ve ever owned a dog with NailTrimAPhobia you can completely relate. Still, it’s a very important aspect of your pet’s overall heath. While it might be easier to let your groomer handle the task, you can certainly try to accomplish this at home. Perhaps some of these tips(no, a bad pun was NOT intended) will make it easier and less stressful for everyone involved. GOOD LUCK!

---Jennifer Fischer

Thanks, Jennifer.

Time now for DOGS IN THE NEWS, canines that made headlines the past week, plus dog news you can use.

Kevin Doorlag stands with his dog Zeus in Otsego, Mich. The Great Dane is now officially the world's tallest canine according to the record book. The 3-year-old measures 44 inches from foot to shoulder. Standing on his hind legs, Zeus measures 7-foot-4. (AP Photo/Guinness World Records 2013 Book, Kevin Scott Ramos, HO)

That's it for this week.

Thanks for stopping by. If you know a fellow dog lover, and you know you do, please tell 'em about us.

We close as we always do with our closing video.

Six-year-old Leo suffers from multiple brain aneurysms, having collapsed at the age of 3. That’s when doctors found a large bulge in one of the cranial blood vessels.

Leo and his mother Yasmine found help after they decided to adopt a rescue dog called Henry.

This week’s video examines the healing power of pets.

Truly amazing.

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